The Southern California Software Company (SCSC) is now marketing the portable bookmobile/backup terminal software it developed for the Tempe (AZ) Public Library to interface with its Virginia Tech Library System. MSI Data Corporation portable data terminals are used. The battery powered (main battery and memory backup) terminals are about the size of a portable cassette tape recorder. They are easily stored at the circulation desk or can be carried to and from the bookmobile. The units come with plug-in light pens to read barcodes.
The software in the portable terminal allows check-out, check-in and renewal of items. For bookmobile use information can be pre-keyed into the terminal causing visual and audible warnings when the number of a delinquent patron or book on reserve is "wanded" in, for example, "HOLD/ RESERVE" is displayed on the alpha-numeric LED display.
At the end of the day the transactions are transferred to the main computer via a separate modem phone link and the on-line library system updates the patron and circulation records. A printed copy of the transactions is also run on a small separate printer as an additional back-up. The Tempe Public Library has three units, each with 64KB of memory. Each unit will hold approximately 3,800 transactions. The units will read all major barcodes and can communicate with a wide variety of computer systems.
SCSC has priced the software at $2,000 which includes minor modifications that may be required to adapt to different VTLS applications. SCSC will also supply the system as a package including the software and hardware. The software and hardware, including an MSI terminal, acoustic coupler, printer interface and printer would cost about $3,500. [Contact: Larry Jeffrey, Southern California Software Company, 1605 Fairview Drive, Corona, A 91720 (714) 734-6205.]
